The Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has reiterated the government’s firm resolve to eliminate tuberculosis by the year 2025. “The government has promised and pledged to eliminate TB by 2025. The TB eradication programme is an ambitious programme, under which the government pays for total treatment on TB. I would specifically ask NIRRH and all other institutes working in this field to provide suggestions for elimination of TB from the face of India by 2025”. The Minister said this, while addressing the Golden Jubilee Celebration of ICMR – NIRRH and inauguration of International Conference on Women’s Reproductive Health: A Step Towards Improving Quality of Life, in Mumbai today.

Stating the importance of reducing maternal mortality, the Minister said: “We medical professionals have to own the responsibility for the occurrence of maternal mortality and ensure that not a single woman in this country dies during pregnancy. It is our duty to ensure that the life of a pregnant woman is not put to unnecessary danger. We started Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) and have received a huge response. Institutions such as NIRRH have been playing a seminal role in reducing Maternal Mortality Rate, but the last mile has not yet been reached”.

On the importance of research in improving health outcomes, the Minister said that high-end health research should be interlinked with science research. “Legislation on abortion has been passed and Surrogacy Bill is being taken up. Assisted Reproductive Technology Regulation Bill has been passed by Cabinet. These are historic bills. They were based on great inputs given by ICMR. Banning of e-cigarettes has also been done upon the suggestion of ICMR”.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan called for collective brainstorming among scientists, medical professionals and all other stakeholders of health and medical world, in order to address the challenges faced by the sector.

Appreciating the contribution of the institute, the Minister said that the name of Dr. Subhash Mukherjee, who is associated with the first test tube baby should be written in golden letters.

The Minister spoke of the imperative of eradicating polio; he conveyed that zero diarrhoea deaths by the year 2022 is another dream of the government. He added that goals for reproductive health have been reached by most parts of the country.

The Minister said that scientists should highlight unresolved issues in order to help realize the Prime Minister’s vision for a New India. With the help of Ayushman Bharat and other schemes, Health for All Mission will be successful, he added.

Earlier in the evening, the Union Minister inaugurated a state-of-the-art Auditorium of ICMR-NIRRH in Mumbai. Secretary, Department of Health Research & DG, ICMR, Delhi Prof. (Dr.) Balram Bhargava and Director, ICMR, NIRRH Dr. Smita Mahale were also present on this occasion.

The auditorium has been named after the founder director of ICMR-NIRRH, Dr. Shanta Rao. With a seating capacity of 235, the auditorium will be a great help to arrange scientific lectures, workshops and symposia.